There's No Place Like Rome

(During the next few days, I will post a few notes about our travels in Italy. Frequency of posts will depend upon availability of internet access.)

July 20-21, 2010

I love the Pensacola airport. From the time my friend dropped me off, it took a total of six minutes to check in, show my passport, pass through security and arrive at my departure gate.

This is my first trip to Italy. My first stop was Rome where I was to meet Amanda and the choir from our church for the last 4 days of their International Choir Tour. Then she and I will be striking out on a few days of vacation as an early celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary.

The connecting flight to Atlanta took an hour and twenty minutes total. Then the flight to Rome took eight hours and fifty minutes. We actually arrived at the Rome airport at 6:40 a.m. (IST) on Wednesday morning, 30 minutes ahead of schedule.

After riding the train to the Rome Termini, I caught the Metro (subway) to the Repubblica exit and emerged on the street about two blocks from the Eurostar Hotel. Amanda was waiting in the lobby. She eagerly updated me on the highlights of the first half of her week and the itinerary for the day.

I dropped my bags in the hotel room and took a quick shower. Then Amanda and I took off to catch up with our group who had already embarked on a guided walking tour.

We took the Metro to the Colossae exit and stepped off right in front of the Colosseum, which looked like the ruins of a modern day college football stadium. We turned right and headed toward the Capital district. We passed Palentine Hill and the Roman Forum to our left, all sites we plan to visit on Friday.

Amanda made a quick stop to fill our water bottle at a public fountain. I learned that because of the abundant springs in Italy, most cities have numerous public fountains providing spring water, for drinking, for washing, or for cooling off.

As we proceeded, I learned the huge building ahead, called the wedding cake by tourists, was the Arts and Exhibition Center. Bearing left again we caught up with our group en route to the Pantheon. After a few greetings, meeting our guide, and getting a headset, our group proceeded into the Pantheon which was an incredible dome-shaped structure, with an opening at the top of the dome, forming a kind of sundial on the inside. I knew that a variety of deities are represented by the shrines inside the Pantheon, but I was surprised to find out that Mass and other services are still held inside.

Upon leaving the Pantheon, we traveled a few backstreets viewing architectural styles of the ancient city and the newer additions. We walked by the Senate building and actually saw a few well-dressed government officials entering and exiting. After a brief historical summary, our tour concluded near the Piazza della Rotunda.

Immediately following the tour, Amanda and I went searching for a place to have lunch. There are ristorantes, cafes, and Gelaterias on almost every block. After walking down a couple of narrow market-lined streets, we found an appealing home-owned pizzeria where we shared a pizza margherita (tomato sauce and cheese) and salad. I quickly learned that Italian pizza is not exactly like American versions. In Rome the pizza had crust as thin as a tortilla, the tomatoes were fresh, and the cheese was bountiful. The salad consisted of a bowl of mixed greens, sliced cherry tomatoes, and fresh locally grown olives.

After lunch we returned to our room to begin getting ready for the evening concert at Rome Baptist Church. Groups from First Baptist Church of Pensacola have been hosted by RBC on numerous occasions. Dave Hodgdon has served as pastor for almost nine years and has become a good friend to our Minister of Music, Bob Morrison.

We departed for the church at 5:30 on foot. It was a short walk. After setting up our orchestral instruments, the choir began warming up, which has a dual meaning in the unairconditioned venues in Italy. Prior to the concert, two significant events happened. First, Bob Gowing, the chair of our Missions Committee at FBCP, present Pastor Dave with a financial gift from our church family to assist their church family in hiring a music intern who enrich their ministry. Pastor Dave was overwhelmed.

Secondly, after the presentation our church exited the church building onto the piazza to sing a few selections. As the choir began to sing, spectators began to gather, and patrons of local restaurants stopped eating and turned their chairs to watch and listen to the music of the choir. As the choir returned to the church, a few dozen onlookers followed them inside and many stayed for the entire concert.

The choir sounded awesome. I admire the devotion and commitment of each choir member to pay their own way, memorize 17 pieces of music (including 4 in Latin), and then pace themselves to endure 14 days of international travel.

After the concert we returned to the hotel room where I was more than ready for good night’s sleep. In just a few hours, I had already seen some of the most significant sites in Western Civilization. Next up on Thursday is a tour of the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. I drifted off to sleep thinking, “There’s no place like Rome.”